WEARABLES: THE GOOD, THE BAD, & THEY'RE UGLY

WEARABLES- THE GOOD, THE BAD, & THEY’RE UGLY -

Image Source: CC0 from unsplash.com By: Olivia Charlebois

By: Olivia Charlebois

Wearables are types of devices that are categorized as

electronics/computers that are incorporated into items of

clothing or accessories which are comfortably worn on

the body. [1]

Most generally this includes but is not limited to smartwatches, fitness bands and headsets.

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{ THE GOOD … }

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Wearables help users stay motivated to remain healthy

and keep connected in the

home, at work and in the hospital


Most smartwatches have applications that allow users

to have a fully automated home life. These apps can

control things from turning on the porch lights before you get home, or controlling the

thermostat from the office. [3]

Image Source: CC0 from Burak Kebapci

These programs allow users to have a good grasp on their home’s security and energy usage at all times in or out of the home.

Wearables can make everyday activities like paying for coffee, signing in at work and checking in at the airport more efficient and reduce the number of personal

belongings needed.

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Image Source: CC0 from Marcin Szmigiel

“At the very least we’ll say good-bye to key cards.”

- Samantha Cole,

when talking about the use of smartwatches in the workplace. [3]

Using wearables helps to move healthcare from reactive to proactive

…

Currently there is an array available technologies that can help proactively manage your health at home.

Most gadgets are specific monitoring systems like fitness smartwatches and heartrate monitors. [2]

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Wearables used in hospitals can help track& analyze information about a person’s

health which can then be transferred to

a remote medical personnel. [4]


This would allow physicians to remotely check in on patients, providing an improveddoctor-patient relationship. [5]


{ THE BAD… }

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Wearable can have a ‘bad’ influence by being another distraction:

“We have been seduced by distraction,”

-Psychologist Daniel Goleman“We are being pulled away from paying attention to the

things that enrich our lives.”[6]

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“We may be institutionalizing rudeness

with our gadgets...” - Leah Eichler [7]

When we give more attention to our devices

we forfeit the attention we should be giving to our real-life relationships.

Being constantly tethered to

your devices can result in disrupted, poor sleep habits,

and negatively influence

driving abilities.


“When was the last time you picked up a physical map?”

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Consistent connectivity can also have huge negative

effects on your general health.

Rarely going tech-free can lead to long-term stress and

has potential risks like:

teeth-grinding, diabetes,

heart disease and

depression. [6]

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With the prevalence of wearables increasing in

healthcare settings important

steps need to be taken to protect patient’s personal healthcare data from

criminal hackers. [8]

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Your personal health information is about 10 times more valuable

than a stolen credit card number on the black market [9]

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The bad news, cybersecurity and hacking threats are

becoming a real issue for businesses. Wearables can be used to hack employee locations, sensitive corporate

information and be used to impersonate employees over

email. [11]

{ THEY’RE UGLY … }


Nobody’s wearing

wearables ...


Wearables are thought to be too large, boxy and unattractive and therefore aren’t yet considered a real

fashion trend.

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“Fashion factories & technology factories are vastly

different enterprises,” and neither knows how to make smart clothes.

- Liza Kindred, founder of Third Wave Fashion. [12]


For wearables to become mainstream fashion many consumers say the technology would need to be more

durable, washable & inexpensive. [12]


Wearables are much more visible than a

smart phone which is often hidden in a bag or pocket.

"A wearable might be something you could use to express yourself… [and] It becomes much more personal than just being in your

pocket” Myriam Joire, product evangelist for

Pebble. [13]


Although wearables allow users to have

access to sophisticated technologies,

further upgrades are still needed to increase personal security &improve their aesthetic appeal.

Works Cited• [1] Tehrani, Kiana, and Andrew Michael. “Wearable Technology and Wearable Devices: Everything You Need to Know.” Wearable

Devices Magazine, WearableDevices.com, March 2014. Web.

• [2] Rhew, Dr. David. "Welcome Home: The Health Hub Of The Future". Samsung Business Insights. N.p., 2016. Web. 1 June 2016..

• [3] Cericola, Rachel. "10 Smart Home Apps That Make You Want The Apple Watch". Electric House. N.p., 2016. Web. 11 Aug. 2015.

• [4] "Wearable Health Technology In Medical And Consumer Arenas". SearchHealthIT. N.p., 2016. Web.

• [5] Leung, Robert. "Wearable Devices In Healthcare, What To Expect In 2016 - Wearable Devices". Wearable Devices. N.p., 2016. Web. 4 Jan. 2015.

• [6] Digital overload: How we are seduced by distraction. The Globe and Mail. Anderssen, Erin. "Digital Overload: How We Are Seduced By Distraction". The Globe and Mail 2014. Web. 29 May 2016.

• [7] Eichler, Leah. "Sorry To Be Rude, But My Smartphone Needs My Attention". The Globe and Mail 2013. Web. 30 May 2016.

• [8] Dave, Parth M.D. "Privacy And Security In An Age Of Wearable Devices - Wearable Devices". Wearable Devices. N.p., 2016. Web. 30 May 2016.

• [9] Overfelt, Maggie. "Price Of Wearable Craze: Your Health Data Hacked". CNBC. N.p., 2015. Web. 30 May 2016.

• [10] Why you shouldn’t confuse ‘nomophobia’ with an actual addiction to smartphones. By Brian Fung. Washington Post. 2015.

• [11] Kharpal, Arjun. "Biggest Hacking Threat To Business? Wearables". CNBC. N.p., 2015. Web. 30 May 2016.

• [12] Why Nobody's Wearing Wearables. By Virginia Postrel. Bloomberg. 2016 Postrel, Virginia. "Why Nobody's Wearing Wearables". BloombergView 2016. Web. 30 May 2016.

• [13] Eadicicco, Lisa Eadicicco. "Why No One Is Actually Buying 'Wearable Tech'". The Fiscal Times 2014. Web. 30 May 2016.


WEARABLES: THE GOOD, THE BAD, & THEY'RE UGLY

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